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Deal the Cards
Deal the Cards
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Player 1
Player 2
Deal the Cards
A few things to consider/discuss while dealing the cards.
Without further ado, deal the cards!
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Childcare helpers (kids)
It takes a village, and you’re fortunate if your village includes a nanny, babysitter, family caregivers, or others who pitch in with the kids. It can be a lifesaver to have the help, but it still requires someone to Conceive and Plan before Nanny Poppins or Grandma Shirley shows up to help Execute. They don’t magically appear when you want them to, so schedules need to be managed, along with payment, delegation of responsibilities, and ongoing communication.
Heads up: When your helper cancels or quits, this cardholder is not necessarily the one who drops everything. Rather, engage in Fair Play immediately to re-deal the applicable cards, for example, “transportation (kids)” and “watching.”
👶 Caregiving
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Cleaning
The pancake batter that fell into the crack on the side of the oven? Last week? It’s still there. The pee all over the toilet seat because your toddler can’t aim? Still there. The trail of sand in your entryway post-playground? Still there. If you have someone to help deep clean your bathroom and kitchen—lucky you. It’s still your responsibility to manage the schedule, task list, payment, etc. Re-deal this card often, as it’s a biggie. Tip! Coordinate with the “home goods and supplies” cardholder so you have cleaning supplies in the house when you need them.
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Dishes
It’s no wonder so many articles about domestic labor begin and end with dishes—the metaphorical third rail of chores. This cardholder is responsible for washing and drying by hand and/or loading and unloading the dishwasher—for every meal. The upside? Your partner doesn’t get to criticize how you put the plates in the “wrong” way. Re-deal this card often to avoid thrown dishes.
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Garbage
Really, how much darn trash can one family create? Staggering. To hold this card means, at minimum, you take out the trash before the garbage truck turns the corner of your block (which day is it again?). Whoever holds this card is responsible for anticipating when trash bags are running low, and a word to the wise: Don’t you dare sit back down on the couch until you put a new bag back in the trash can!
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Home furnishings
Holding this card can be as basic as making sure that every bed has a pillow, you have towels in the closet, and the drinking glasses with cracks get replaced before someone chips a tooth. This card is not a one-time deal, as there’s regular inventory to be taken and just when you could use that 20 percent off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon, it’s nowhere to be found. Kindly discuss with the “points, miles, and coupons” cardholder so you’re buttoned up for your next trip to the store.
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Home goods & supplies
This card requires management of everything from laundry detergent, batteries, and lightbulbs, to toothpaste, coffee filters, and trash bags! Expect to be astounded by how your parents’ generation pulled this off without Amazon.
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Home maintenance
How many people does it take to change a lightbulb? In this game, just one, and it’s the person holding this card. You’re also responsible for unclogging toilets, calling a repairman when the air conditioner breaks (inevitably in the height of summer), finding the manual for the vacuum cleaner that’s spewing dust, and every other home maintenance to-do that requires hands-on planning.
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Storage, garage, & seasonal items
Do you have a budget / financial plan? Are you intentional about for planning for the future? Are you on the same page with paying off debt and are taxes filed on time (or an appropriate agreed up extension)?
🏠 Home
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Auto
Do you know what happens if you don’t put the new registration sticker on your car? You get a ticket that could have easily been avoided, that’s what. This cardholder handles all items relating to your family’s car(s), including putting that sticker on in a timely manner, paying for that darn ticket, renewing insurance, handling maintenance, getting car washes, regularly filling up with gas, and getting the oil checked so that you feel safe and secure in the family car.
☀️ Out
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Birthday celebrations (other kids)
From RSVPing to buying presents, the birthday party circuit for your kids is riddled with opportunities for missteps . . . like when you’re already out the door and realize it’s a princess dress-up theme. Oops. And why didn’t anyone warn you how many weekend hours you’d be spending at other kids’ birthday parties chitchatting with parents you hardly know? Do a happy dance if siblings are invited so you can have two kids in the same place at the same time. Note! If you have two or more kids who have to be at separate birthday celebrations, you and your partner can both hold this card separately. A Kid Split means you both CPE the same card at the same time but for separate kids. See page 267 for more about splitting cards. Post Note! This card pairs with the “transportation (kids)” and “gifts (VIPs)” cards. Meaning, if you RSVP’d yes to the birthday party at the trampoline park, you are responsible for getting your son there (gift in hand) and picking him up afterward.
☀️ Out
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Birthday Celebrations (Your Kids)
Have you ever tried shoving a dozen balloons into the trunk of your car? It’s like playing a game of whack-a-mole but you get no prize. How about copying and pasting email addresses for the whole class into your online invitation? Time suck. These are just illustrations of the many tasks you’ll handle when planning your child’s birthday party. Even if you keep it simple with a family dinner at home, this cardholder might be the one who battles rush-hour traffic to pick up a cake at a favorite bakery before it closes. Don’t forget candles, but no need to buy a present unless you’re also the “gifts (family)” lead.
✨ Magic
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Hard Questions (kids)
“Why do I have hair growing under my armpits?” “What does it mean when the other kids talk about ‘doing it’?” Enough said. You and your partner may re-deal this card to each other based on the question at hand or which child is asking, but when it’s your turn, be prepared as best you can to research and impart thoughtful, accurate, and age-appropriate wisdom. Spoiler alert: The questions get tougher and the stakes get higher as your kids grow up.
✨ Magic
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Showing up and participating (kids)
One dad admits that he spent nearly a month complaining about the daddy/daughter dance at school, dreading everything from the small talk with other dads to the awkwardness of busting out his moves. Ultimately he went, and it turned out to be pure Magic for both him and his growing-up-too-fast fourth grader. You’ve got to show up for and participate in your child’s events, big and small, for the Magic to happen. Re-deal this card frequently to make sure it does.
✨ Magic
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
Spirituality
This card looks and feels different to everyone—perhaps even within your own home—so all the more reason you should consult your partner in the Planning to make sure you’re on the same page. (Ahem, you don’t have carte blanche to join a cult just because it’s your card.) It may involve attending church/synagogue/mosque, planning events like communion or a bar/bat mitzvah, establishing a relationship with clergy members, enforcing dietary beliefs, creating a family meditation ritual, or any number of ways you decide to make spirituality a part of your family’s life.
✨ Magic
Deal to SJ Crawford
Deal to Cole Crawford
You did it! Time to go review !
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